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Supply chain problems in the small satellite industry have resulted in a lawsuit. L3Harris Technologies filed suit in late March against Moog, which was supplying satellite buses for a contract L3Harris had with the Space Development Agency. L3Harris alleges Moog repeatedly missed delivery deadlines, with satellite buses arriving 11 to 13 months late, putting its SDA contract at risk. The lawsuit underscores the challenges facing the space supply chain as it tries to ramp up production to meet soaring demand from the military and the intelligence community. Experts say companies in the defense industry, long accustomed to building a few large, complex satellites, are adapting to the new reality of producing larger quantities of smaller, cheaper spacecraft, exposing weaknesses in segments of the space industrial base. [SpaceNews]
Astra flirted with filing for bankruptcy several times in recent months as the company struggled to stay afloat. In recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the spacecraft propulsion and launch vehicle company said that it had considered "and even begun preparations" to file for either Chapter 11 reorganization or Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy in the second half of 2023 and earlier this year. In some cases the company came within days of furloughing staff and filing for bankruptcy. Astra announced last month that it accepted a proposal by the company's founders to take the company private at $0.50 a share, a deal still scheduled to close in the second quarter. Astra reported Thursday a net loss of $178.4 million in 2023 on $3.9 million in revenue. [SpaceNews]
MDA Space won a contract from the Canadian Space Agency to provide continued support for the International Space Station's robotic arm. The $182 million contract extension, announced Thursday, covers robotics flight controller duties, in addition to the operational readiness support, through 2030, the scheduled retirement of the station. MDA Space announced last week a new product line of modular robotic technologies and services called Skymaker, which the company hopes will help it secure emerging commercial opportunities following decades of government work. [SpaceNews]
China plans to rely on commercial launch companies to help deploy its proposed megaconstellations. China has outlined plans for two separate low Earth orbit communications megaconstellations, called Guowang and G60 Starlink, with Guowang alone featuring 13,000 satellites. A recent report notes that new launch capacity being developed by commercial actors in the country will play a pivotal role in getting the planned satellites into orbit. The move will help traditional state-owned players focus on civil and military programs, including human spaceflight, military and lunar plans, while also boosting China's overall launch and space capabilities and meeting national strategic goals. [SpaceNews]
The FAA will require companies launching spacecraft designed to return to Earth to have a reentry license in place before launch. In a Federal Register notice this week, the FAA said it will now check as part of the launch licensing payload review process that any spacecraft designed to return to Earth already have a reentry license. The policy addresses a situation where the FAA allowed the launch of a reentry spacecraft by Varda Space Industries in 2023 without having a reentry license; that license finally came in February after the FAA rejected an initial application by the company. The FAA said the change is intended to improve public safety. [SpaceNews]
| | Scientific Discovery Begins with L3Harris
L3Harris is at the forefront of unraveling the universe's deepest secrets, like dark matter and distant exoplanets. From the iconic Hubble to the groundbreaking James Webb and Nancy Grace Roman space telescopes and beyond, our cutting-edge imaging technology, integration and testing solutions have helped shape humanity's understanding of the cosmos and push the boundaries of scientific discovery for decades. Learn more. | | Other News
For the second day in a row, SpaceX launched a set of Starlink satellites from Florida. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:40 p.m. Eastern and deployed 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch took place a little more than 24 hours after another Falcon 9 launched Starlink satellites from neighboring Launch Complex 39A. [Space.com]
Virgin Galactic will ask shareholders to approve proposals for a reverse stock split. The company released a proxy statement Thursday for its annual general meeting of shareholders, scheduled for June. That statement includes a proposal to allow the board to implement a reverse split of between 1-for-2 and 1-for-20 shares. The reverse split would boost the share price, which the company said would have various benefits, including compliance with requirements to remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares in the company closed Thursday at $0.97. [SpaceNews]
Northrop Grumman is reportedly working with SpaceX on a classified satellite program. Northrop is providing sensors for SpaceX Starshield satellites that SpaceX is developing as part of a $1.8 billion contract it received from the National Reconnaissance Office. The satellites are reportedly already producing high-resolution imagery that could be used for applications like tracking targets. Neither Northrop nor SpaceX commented on the report. [Reuters]
Boeing is considering laying off some workers involved in NASA's Space Launch System program. A company spokesperson said it is evaluating potential reductions in the workforce for SLS because of "external factors unrelated to our program performance." Those factors could include delays in the next two Artemis missions, which slipped because of issues with the Orion spacecraft and development of the Starship lunar lander. [Ars Technica]
Astronauts will repair an astronomical instrument on the ISS later this year. NASA said this week that astronauts will perform a spacewalk to fix the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, or NICER, instrument that has been on the ISS since 2017. Astronomers discovered a problem with NICER last year where sunlight would leak into the instrument, dazzling its X-ray sensors. On the spacewalk, astronauts will apply patches to the spacecraft's sunshield and areas where damage has been spotted in a bid to block the light leaks. NASA has not set a specific date for the spacewalk, and the repair materials will be launched to the station on the next Cygnus cargo spacecraft. [NASA]
| | Strange Martian Bedfellows
"It's not just me, it's pretty much the entire California delegation, and probably one of the only times I've agreed with Schiff and been on a letter with Representative Schiff. It's a testimony of how deeply this cuts."
– Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), discussing at a hearing Wednesday of a House appropriations subcommittee the concerns he and other members of Congress from California, including Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), have raised about funding for the Mars Sample Return program.
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